v. & n.
v.tr. 1 a regain possession of. b recover by investigation or effort of memory. 2 a restore to knowledge or recall to mind. b obtain (information stored in a computer etc.). 3 (of a dog) find and bring in (killed or wounded game etc.). 4 (foll. by from) recover or rescue (esp. from a bad state). 5 restore to a flourishing state; revive. 6 repair or set right (a loss or error etc.) (managed to retrieve the situation).
n. the possibility of recovery (beyond retrieve). retrievable adj. retrieval n.
[ ME f. OF retroeve- stressed stem of retrover (as RE-, trover find) ]